When We Were Young
by Eyeslikeabushbaby.x
Summary: Young Addison, Callie, Arizona, Meredith, Lexie, Jackson, Teddy, Henry, Cristina and Charlotte are out in the park when they come across another a group of children Alex, Mark, Derek, Owen, Cooper and Amelia A fluffy little one-shot. Normal Pairings.


**Yes, this is in fact another story I should not be writing. But this idea came to me in English class when I was meant to be reading Shakespeare and I had to write it down, so enjoy what I came up with when I was meant to be learning!**

**It's set in Georgia, the wonderful peach state, because that's where my mum is from and it's beautiful and I wish I could go there more often! **

**But for some reason; only Charlotte has a southern accent. Ah well, this is JennyLand, so it's somehow possible.**

**P.s. Don't ask why a load of 6-9 year olds are at the park by themselves… They live really close and their parents either trust them or are too wrapped up in their work (Ellis and Bizzy) to care.**

**P.p. s. In the episode **_**Time Warp**_**, how cute is little Meredith?**

_I was a little girl alone in my little world,_

_who dreamed of a little home for me._

_I played pretend between the trees, _

_and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, _

_and laughed in my pretty bed of green._

"Callie! Callie come back!" Eight year old Arizona Robbins called after her best friend.

"You'll never catch me, Ari !" Callie Torres giggled, running through the grass, the soft wind whipping at her hair.

Arizona slowed down and started breathing heavily; she put her hands on her knees in an attempt to stay standing.

"Okay." She coughed. "You win, Cal."

Callie stopped sprinting and jogged back to the little blonde girl. "I always win." She grinned.

"You're too fast." Arizona told her, falling backwards into the long grass.

Callie joined her and the two girls lay in silence, watching the birds fly around the sky.

Arizona turned to look at Callie. "Callie. You're super fast at running and super pretty and smart."

"You're pretty too, Ari." Callie replied. "I like your hair."

"I like your hair."

"Wanna switch?" Callie asked hopefully.

Arizona laughed. "We could dye our hair. Addison told me that's what her mom did."

"Mommy wouldn't let me."

"You look nice with black hair anyway." Arizona said.

"You look really pretty with blonde hair."

"You're my best friend Callie."

"You're my best friend too, Arizona."

Both girls smiled at each other and went back to looking at the cloudless sky.

/

It was a typical day in La Grange, Georgia. The grass and trees swayed softly as the wind blew; the birds singing happily throughout the day. Children's laughter could be heard as they ran through the park. The water in the lake was so clear that you could see to the bottom, the air was filled with a familiar humidity and the sun shone brightly as it always did.

_I had a dream,_

_That I could fly from the highest swing._

_I had a dream._

"Are you okay?"

Addison Montgomery stopped trying to reach the tyre swing hanging from the park tree to look at the boy in front of her.

"I'm fine." She said stiffly.

"Can't you get on it?" He asked curiously.

"I can."

He smirked. "No you can't."

"Can too." She argued.

The boy laughed, Addison frowned.

"I'm Alex." He told her, holding out a hand.

"Hi." She replied formally. "I'm Addison Adrianne Forbes-Montgomery. I'm nine years and two months old." She shook his hand.

"You have a lot of names." Alex said simply.

"How old are you?" Addison queried.

"Seven." Alex said. "And four months."

The stood quietly for a moment, before Addison decided to ask him for help.

"Will you help me get up?" She asked. "Please?"

"So you couldn't get up." Alex grinned.

"I don't like you." Addison huffed. "You're annoying."

"So are you."

_Long walks in the dark,_

_through woods grown behind the park, _

_I asked God who I'm supposed to be._

_The stars smiled down on me, _

_God answered in silent reverie. _

_I said a prayer and fell asleep._

"What are you doing?"

Meredith Grey looked up from Anatomy Jane to see a boy, slightly older than her and with jet black hair, watching her.

"Playing with my doll." She stated obviously.

"Why is she all broken?" He frowned, looking at all the organs that were spread out across the bench.

"She's not broken!" Meredith protested. "She came this way. I have to fix her."

"Why?" He asked.

"Because that's what surgeons do, they fix people."

"You're to little to be a surgeon."

"I know. But my mommy's one."

"My dad's one too." Said the boy. "He fixes brains."

"I'm Meredith." Meredith said.

"I'm Derek." replied Derek. "I'm Eight years old."

"Is that boy your friend?" Meredith wondered, pointing to Alex Karev.

Derek nodded. "That's Alex." Then he pointed to eight year old Mark Sloan, who had found Meredith's little sister Lexie sitting in the grass, "That's Mark." And then he pointed at the three people who sat on another bench by the lake. "And that's Cooper, Owen and my sister Amelia."

"Well, those are my friends." Meredith pointed to Callie and Arizona, who were now up and running again. "Callie and Ari. And that's Addison." They watched as Alex pushed Addison up onto the swing. "And that's Lexie, who's sitting with Jackson and that's Cristina, and that boy and girl on the picnic blanket are Teddy and Henry."

"Who's she?" Derek asked, pointing to the blonde girl who seemed to be bossing Derek's friend Cooper around.

"Charlotte." Meredith said. "She's nine, like Addison and Teddy."

"You have a lot of friends." Derek told her, picking up Anatomy Jane's heart and handing it to Meredith to put back in her doll.

/

_I had a dream,_

_That I could fly from the highest tree._

_I had a dream._

_Now I'm old and feeling grey._

_I don't know what's left to say,_

_about this life I'm willing to leave._

"Henry. Just eat the dumb fruit cup."

"But they taste gross!"

"Please," Teddy begged. "For me." She put on her best smile.

Henry sighed. "Fine, for you." He took the spoon and ate the food, his face looking rather disgusted. "I don't know why my mom buys these. They suck."

"You've just had really serious surgery. Meredith's mom's a good doctor, and she said you need to eat healthy food."

They sat on the picnic blanket, under a willow tree, looking out onto the lake where the ducks swam happily around.

"Everyone's having fun but me." Henry said sadly.

"You don't like being here with me?" Teddy looked hurt.

"Don't be silly. I love being with you, Teddy." He smiled. "I just want to be running around with Ari, or swinging on the tyre with Addie, or swimming in the lake with you."

"I'm really sorry Henry." Teddy said quietly. "I wish I could make you better."

"One day you'll fix people, you'll be a doctor, just like Ellis Grey. You're going to be the best doctor in the whole of America." He reached out his hand and wrapped it around hers.

Teddy smiled. "Well… I guess we could go and feed the ducks. Just for a minute."

/

"It's getting cloudy now." Addison observed as she swung backwards and forwards on the tyre.

"I think it's going to rain." Alex said, slowing the swing down slightly.

"It's still a little sunny Alex. I don't think it's going to rain." Addison said in a bossy sounding voice.

"Whatever, get down now. It's my turn."

"No!" Addison protested. "Keep swinging me!"

"One more minute."

"Two more."

/

"Your friend is being mean to Jackson." Meredith said, looking at where Mark was yelling at Jackson, because little Lexie was now crying.

"I think he likes your sister." Derek laughed.

"Don't be silly." Meredith giggled. "Lexie's only three."

"Not _like _like." Derek said. "I think he wants to be friends with her."

"Oh." She paused. "Do you want to be my friend?"

"Yes." Derek said, rather fast. "Do you want to be my friend?"

"Sure." Meredith blushed. "Well, seeing as we're friends now. Do you want to come over to my house? I've got a giant garden, with a slide and a swing. My mommy's never home, so we can play as long as we want; I have another doll at home that we could take apart and put back together."

"You talk really fast." Derek observed.

"Sorry." Meredith apologised.

"It's fine." Derek smiled. "I think it's funny."

/

"Addison, it's been four whole minutes!" Alex said angrily. "Get down now!"

"Make me." Addison challenged.

Alex stopped the swing and pushed himself up so he was Addison's height.

"Alex, go away!" Addison squealed.

"Make me." He smirked.

Addison opened her mouth to protest, when a large droplet of water hit her nose.

"Ick!" She wiped it off. "Oh no!"

"I told you it was going to rain!" Alex laughed.

"Quick get down!"

"Why?"

"I have to get home before I get all wet!"

"Why don't we stay here?"

"Alex, get down!" Addison yelled as it began to spit.

"No. Stop being such a girl."

/

"Henry, it's raining." Teddy pulled at Henry's hand. "We have to get under the tree."

They moved under the large oak tree in the park. "Do we have to go?"

"Your mom will get angry at us if we don't."

"Can't we stay with everyone else and watch the rain?"

Teddy thought for a moment. "Five minutes, we'll get all the wet picnic stuff later."

"You're the best Teddy." Henry grinned as the both sat down by the tree trunk, staying dry.

/

_I'm ready now, _

_I'm ready now, _

_I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing…_

It was pouring now. Teddy and Henry watched as Callie and Arizona ran around in the rain, laughing with not a care in the whole world. They saw Mark pick up four year old Lexie and take her under some shelter, as he ignored Jackson's whining and protesting. And they saw Derek calling Amelia and taking her and Meredith to where Mark was sitting under another tree.

"What's wrong with Addie?" Henry asked, as they watched her try and struggle with Alex on the swing.

Teddy shrugged and then smiled. "I think she's got a boyfriend."

Charlotte suddenly squealed loudly, as Arizona ran and tagged her. "Your it, Charlotte!"

Charlotte grinned and turned towards Copper, who froze, then sprinted off in the other direction; she quickly followed him.

"Meredith and I want to play!" Derek announced through the rain. He took Meredith's hand and they joined in the game of tag. Mark, Jackson and Lexie watched from under one tree and Teddy and Henry from under another as Callie - who was now it - ran after Meredith, Derek, Charlotte, Cooper, Amelia and Arizona.

/

What started as a typical day in La Grange, Georgia; turned out to be the most life changing day of all the children's lives.

_Thirty One Years Later_

"For the last time, Callie. I do _not _want a party!"

"But Addie!" Thirty nine year old Callie Torres moaned. "You only turn forty once!"

"Where would the kids go?" Addison looked over to where nine year old Katy and seven year old Jacob were playing by the lake. _That same lake._

"They can come to the party!"

Addison scoffed. "No freaking way."

Callie pouted.

Addison looked away from her sulking friend. "_No_!"

/

"Meredith, what are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing Derek? I'm working."

"You can't work more than eight hours a day now, you should be at home."

"I'm fine!" Meredith pushed Derek's hand away as it went to touch her pregnant stomach. "I've had a child before, I know my limits!"

Derek looked at her cautiously but then kissed her cheek. "I'll see you at home." Then he kissed her tummy. "Bye baby girl."

/

_That night…_

"Surprise!" Addison's ears filled with a singing chorus as she entered Meredith's living room.

Addison sighed. "I knew you were lying about the baby arriving." She frowned at Meredith.

"Sorry." Mer replied sheepishly. "But you wouldn't have come other wise."

Addison sighed. "Well, I'm here now. Where's the food?"

Meredith chuckled and went to find Derek, who was with their oldest daughter Lily, handing out party poppers.

"Hey." Hands snaked around Addison's waist. "Happy Birthday."

"Mmm." Addison hummed, a smile creeping across her face. "Thank you."

"Did you have fun at the park with Katy and Jake?"

"Yeah." She turned to face him. "How was your day?"

"Slow. Nothing on the surgical board, so Teddy, Amelia, Cooper and I hung around the cafeteria for ages. And then Callie rushed in to plan your party."

"After I'd told her I didn't want one."

"Come on Addie, let's go find everyone else."

/

"Hey, sweetie." Henry greeted little Emma Burton by picking her up and hugging her.

"Daddy!" Emma grinned. "You made it!"

"Course I did, I wouldn't miss Addie's party and the chance to see you again." He smiled.

Emma giggled. Henry looked up from his daughter to see his wife smiling at him.

"Hey." He kissed her.

"Hey." Teddy's smile didn't fade at all.

/

After everyone's out of tune chorus of 'Happy Birthday', Addison blew out the candle - as Callie only put one on the cake and had jokingly said she tried to fit forty on, but couldn't - and began to cut it. All the children lined up eagerly for a slice. Katy and Jake, followed by Emma and Lily, and then little Jessica Torres- Robbins and Louise Sloan.

Addison laughed as Meredith held her plate out for a slice. "It's the baby." She said simply.

Addison laughed again and handed her and extra large piece.

Everyone was engulfed in their own conversations. Meredith with the children. Alex with Derek. Charlotte with Copper, Teddy and Henry. Callie and Arizona. Lexie stood awkwardly between her husband and her best friend Jackson, attempting to start a conversation as they just stared at each other with annoyed expressions.

_This is a real family. _Addison smiled, watching everyone. _This is exactly what I want._

She'd turned out nothing like her mother, or The Captain. She and Alex had both worried they'd turn out to be bad parents, like their own ones. But here they were, everyone completely happy. They had their arguments - what family didn't?

But all in all, it was a pretty damn good life.

**There's so much cheese in this story, I could make a whole cheesecake and hand a slice out to everyone who reviews.**

**This has been in my folder for like three months, but I didn't like it that much and so I never uploaded it.**

**You can tell me if it's not that good, because I know it's not my best.**

**But REVIEW, and I'll give you a giant slice of virtual cheesecake : )**

**Yummy.**


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